So much of human development is non-linear and does not lend itself to teaching but expands exponentially with opportunity to learn. When we’re stuck in rows, dying by slides and graphs, captured like little flies in the web of curriculum and testing, we never get to explore and discover. What if we teachers gave our fellow learners (also known improperly as students*) challenges and let them go off on their own? They can use us as a base camp instead of an umbilicus.
This may seem a bit farfetched, but little children at play, one their own, are quite capable of learning at least as much as when supervised. Even tall children (aka adults) do quite well on their own, given a challenging task. I regularly send groups off, sometimes with a very ambiguous task, in the middle of a day of "training." They often ask for more instruction, at which point I tell them "you decide." They always work at an energized, collaborative level and produce interesting and useful results.
My best teachers, and this is absolutely subjective, challenged me to take risks, be vulnerable, and explore. Dr. Ray, my all-time favorite, sat the eight of us around a table. In front of each of us were two plays from the Jacobean period. Sort of "the other Shakespeares."
"Here's your teaching schedule," he said as he passed out a single piece of paper. "I'll see you next week when Mac will teach us about Volpone." Off to the races.
At the time I was angry. He's copping out, I thought. It was only later that, as I was completely drawn into 'my' plays, that I realized how courageous it is for a teacher to trust his/her students. When we talk at/talk down to our students, we draw the life out of their pioneering. We don’t need to make anyone learn. Except our selves.
Give them a corner to go around and get the %^&*( out of their way.
